Signal for locating sunken vessels.



'C. G. JOHNSON.

SIGNAL FOR LOCATING SUNKEN VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I1, I9I4. RENEWED OCT. 13.1916.

1 266,7 1 3., Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

\ CHHRLESGEJOHNSON V. J-A U m: NORRIS PEYERS Co p m-aLnna, wilaNlNGYON.my I:

I C. G. JOHNSON.

SIGNAL FOR LOCATING SUNKEN VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, m4. RENEWED OCT. 13,1916.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

2 -SHEETS-SHEET 2.

4 CEEQRLESGA EWSON m: Nomus Farms co Pam-mum" wnsmucmu, n. c'

UNTE' @TATfd PATENT CHARLE$ GEORGE JOHNSON, 0F SAULT STE. MARIE,MICHIGAN.

SIGNAL FOR LOCATING SUNKEN VESSELS.

Application filed July 17, 191e, Serial No. 851,559.

To all 10 hom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAnLEs GEORGE JoHNsoN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Sault Ste. Marie, in the county of Chippewa andState of l\lichigan, have invented certain new" and useful Improvementsin Signals for Locating Sunken Vessels, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements insignals and more particularly to devices of this character which may beutilized to desig- V nate the location of sunken vessels, so that uponsighting the signal passing vessels will be warned of the location ofthe sunken vessel and may steer clear of the same to prevent fouling it,and has for its object to provide a device of this character which willfloat upon the surface of the water above the sunken vessel and providesuitable day and night signals. a

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which undernormal conditions is positive in operation, and which may be utilized incases of necessity as a life buoy.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character which iscomparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, and which willnot easily get out 7 of repair.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fullyappear as the descriptionv proceeds, the novel features thereof beingpointed out in the appended claims. 3;

For a full understanding; of the inven-f v tion, reference is to behadto the following description and accompanying drawing, in,;; whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of the device? in operation, showing thestern of a sunken vessel and the floating signal on the surface 3? ofthe water above the vessel. Fig. 2 is side elevation of the device inits inoperative position. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectiona view throughthe same, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line H ofFig. 2. 1

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indi cated in all the views ofthe drawing by the samereference characters. a

Specifically describing the invention; the I Specification of LettersPatent.

?atented Nov. 28., 1916.

Renewed October 13, 1916. Serial No. 125,501.

numeral 1 designates the deck of a vessel upon which is mounted, at'anysuitable point, a cradle or support 2 adapted to detachably support asignal 3 when the same is in an inoperative position. The cradle '2 isformed of four upright pieces of angle iron 1-, which serve as cornerposts, connected at their bases by angle irons 5 which are permanentlyfastened to the deck 1 of the vessel by suitable fastening members 6,thereby forming a substantially square frame. Fastened to theupperextremities of opposite corner posts 4 and extending downwardly alongopposite sides of the cradle 2 are the angle irons 7 which convergetoward each other so as to form a substantially V shaped seat upon whichthe floating signal rests under normal conditions, and are fastenedtogether at their lower extremities by the plates 8, which are in turnsecured to the angle irons 5 at the base of the cradle 2. The angles ofthe angle irons 7 face the inside of the cradle so that the outerflanges 7 thereof serve to I prevent the signal member 3 from beingjarred out of the cradle by the motion of the ship upon the water.

The upper portion of the signal consists .of a water tight compartment 9which is always filled withair. This compartment 9 is fitted within theupper portion of a frame 10 formed of angle iron, which frame isfastened to the compartment by suitable fastening members 11. The lowerextremi ties 12 of the irons forming the frame 10 are inclineddownwardly from the bottom of the compartment 9, and converge towardeach other from opposite sides so as to form a substantially V shapedbase adapted to rest upon the V shaped seat of the cradle 2, and forminga frame upon which is adapted to be mounted a cable carrying means, thelower ends thereof being secured together by the plates 13. The angleformed by these converging arms is substantially the same as the angleformed by the irons 7 of the cradleQ so that the irons 12 will fitsnugly ipon said irons 7. and as before stated, the uter flanges 7 ofthe irons 7 will serve to revent the irons 12 from jarring out. ofhecradle. as shown in Fig. 4:.

Fastened at their opposite ends to oppoite angle irons 12 and extendingacross oposite sides of the signal frame 1O are the ransverse bars orangle irons 1 f. Fastened to each bar it and at substantially the conter thereof are the journal bearings 15 in which its mounted atransverse shaft 16 which carries a reel 17 adapted to receive asuitable length of cable 18. One end of the shaft 16 projects beyond theframe 10'and cradle 2 and is squared at 19 to receive a removable crank20, shown in dotted lines, utilized in winding the cable upon the drum.

One end of the cable 16 is fastened to the hull of the vessel by anysuitable'means such as the, U bolt 21, while the opposite end of thecable is fastened to the reel 17. At the lower extremities of'the frame10 are two guide rollers 18 having their opposite ends journaled in theplates 13. These two rollers 18 serve as guides for the cable to preventkinking or twisting thereof when being wound upon or unwound from thereel 1'7. Opposite ends of the reel 17 are provided with brake drums, 22around which are wound the oppositely disposed brake bands 23. whichserve to retard the revolu-. tion of the drum when the cable isunwinding therefrom, and to prevent the unwinding. of, the cable fromthe drum after the vessel has struck bottom so thatthe float 8 can notdrift away. Secured to the bars 12 nearest the respective ends of thereel are the upwardly projecting brackets 24, at the outer ends of whichare pivoted, at inter mediate points 25 in their lengths, the levers 25.Oneend 26 of each of the levers 25 is'connectedto one end of itsadjacent brake band 23, while the opposite ends of the levers areconnected to springs 27 which in turn are fastened to the bottom of thecom- .partment 9. The ends of the brake bands opposite those fastenedtothe lever at 26 are fastened to the upwardly projecting brackets 24:.The springs 27 tend to pull upwardly on one end of the levers 25. which,owing to the lever being pivoted at 25, exerts a downward pressure uponthe opposite ends of the levers 25, which in turn pull upon the brakebands 23, which being permanently fastened at one end exert a pressureupon the brake drums 22 soras to retard the movement of the reel 17 ineither direction. It will thus be seen that the cable cannot becomefouled in unwinding from the reeltoo rapidly, .as the brake bands 23continually exert a pressure upon thedrum 17 to retard its movement, andthe float 3 can not drift away from the location of the sunken vessel.

.Mounted upon the top of the compartment 9.,and near the center thereofis an upright standard or pole 28 at the upper extremity of which aremounted suitable d d night signals, such as the. flag or pennant '29 andthe lamp .30. In order that V the water tight compartment may serve asal fe -.buoy.1n case of necessity, as well as a signal, arail 31 isprovided at the top of the compartment 9 and another rail 32 is lifeboat or other means of support, they may grasp the rails 31 and 32 ofthe floating buoy 9., and owing to its buoyancy will be supportedthereby until they are rescued.

The cradle 2 has been described as being above deck, but if desired itmay be placed below the deck with its top flush'therewith, as indicatedby the dotted lines A in Figs. and 3, so that only'the buoyantsignal 3will be aboveithe deck. T he lamp 30 should always be light-ed at nightso that should the vessel sink in the night, the light 30 may be seen bythe shipwrecked persons and passing vessels. In the day time the pennant29 serves as a signal.

In the operationof'the device as the vessel sinks and the deck passesbelow the surface of'the water the buoy 9, being water tight and filledwith air, floats upon the water. As the vessel moves downward the cable18 isunwound from the reel '17, as one end of the cable is fastened tothe deck of the ship. "When the ship has reached the bottom of the bodyof water, the buoy 9 is anchored to the vessel, by means of the cable18, and the floating "buoy .9'with its signals 29 and 30 serves todesignate the exact location of the sunken vessel. If desired a signalbuoy may be placed upon both the bow and stern of the vessel, so thatthe location thereof is defined still more accurately. Afterthe ship hassunk unfortunates who were unable to reach life boats or other means ofsupport still have this'fioating buoy which cannot drift away ,from thewreck, owing 'to'its being fastened thereto by the cable. It will thusbe seen'that this device serves admirably the principal purpose forwhich it was designed, as a signal, as well as a life buoy for savingthe lives of shipwrecked persons.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A signal for locating a vessel after it is sunk including a buoyadapted to float upon the water, said buoy being provided with asubstantially V-shaped base, a cradle mounted upon the vesselandprovided with a substantially ii-shaped seat upon which the V shapedbase of, the buoy is adapted to removably rest under normal conditions,

said .V-shaped seat being provided on oppowith suitable day and nightsignals, theupper portion of said buoy consisting of a Water tightcompartment, while the lower portion thereof consists of a frame forminga substantially V-shap'ed base, a reel mounted upon said frame adaptedto receive a suitable length of cable, one end of said cable beingfastened to the vessel while the opposite end thereof is fastened to thereel, said cable being adapted to be unwound from the reel as the vesselsinks, braking means for preventing the cable from unwinding from thereel after the vessel has reached bottom, cable guide rollers mountedupon the buoy, and a cradle upon the vessel provided with asubstantially V-shaped seat upon which is adapted to removably restunder normal conditions the V shaped base of the buoy.

3. A combined signal for locating a vessel after it is sunk and lifebuoy, including a buoy adapted to float upon the water, the upperportion of the buoy consisting of a water tight compartment providedwith suitable day and night signals and rails adapted to be grasped byshipwrecked persons, while the lower portion thereof consists of a frameforming a substantially l-shaped base, a reel mounted on said frameadapted to receive a suitable length of cable, one end of said cablebeing fastened to the vessel while the opposite end thereof is fastenedto the reel, said cable being adapted to unwind from the reel as the vessel sinks, braking means for preventing the cable from unwinding fromthe reel after the vessel has reached bottom, means for winding thecable upon the reel, guide rollers mounted on the buoy and a cradlecarried by the vessel having a substantially V-shaped seat upon which isadapted to removably rest under normal conditions the V-shaped base ofthe buoy.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES GEORGE JOHNSON. Witnesses:

JOHN D. MURRAY, JOHN McDoNAm.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

